The authority wants new fish roads for endangered fish in Imatra: \”Fisheries travel could benefit\”

There are two Fortum hydroelectric power plants flowing through Imatra. For one of them, the energy company is already planning a city puror.

The Southwest Finland ELY Center proposes that Fortum, an energy company, is required to make the fish passing by the Tainionkoski and Imatrankoski power plants in Imatra. The power plants are in Vuoksi, which has crossed the city.

At the same time, the ELY Center proposes that Fortum will make the power plants in areas where fish can reproduce.

The role of the ELY Center is to monitor the general fisheries.

The measures would allow fish to pass through power plants. The goal is to strengthen fish stocks.

Fish living in Vuos currently cannot pass the power plants.

The ELY Center also proposes that Fortum is obliged to carry out rehabilitation of fish living conditions in the water area between power plants and above the Tainionkoski power plant.

There are several endangered fish in the Vuoksi river basin, such as lake trout, lake salmon and grayling.

In recent decades, the management of fish stocks in Vuoksi has been largely based on planting. The ELY Center wants a change.

Imatrankoski’s current riverbeds to benefit

The ELY Center has submitted applications to the Fortum Fisheries Obligations to the Regional Administration of Southern Finland.

In Imatrankoski, the ELY Center proposes to convert the so-called overwhelming manner into a fishing road and the production area. The overwhelming surgery joins the city puror, where trout are already well on.

The upper part of the city puror, in turn, would be changed so that the fish can flow from there.

\”Now the water is run to the city puror from the Vuoi in the tube above Imatrankoski, which prevents the fish from flowing between the stream and the upper river,\” says Ikävalko.

In the lower part of the city puror, the connection to Vuo already exists.

The ELY Center also proposes that Fortum will renovate the power stream to the east of the Imatrankoski power plant so that the fish can pass through the stream past the power plant.

Fortum in Tainionkoski already plans

In Tainionkoski, the ELY Center proposes to make a fish road and the boy production area to the old rapids to the east of the power plant. To the west of the power plant should be made by a city puror.

Fortum has already begun to design a city puror for Tainionkoski, which would overtake the power plant. According to the company, the main purpose of the creek is to create breeding areas for the local seedling stock.

Fortum’s plans do not affect the presentation of the ELY Center.

– It is possible that the voluntary measure will be considered as part of the implementation of the obligation, says Ikävalko.

At this stage, Fortum will not comment further on the ELY Center.

– We give our statements on applications, where we tell us our views, says Hämäläinen.

The Regional Government Office will once decide what kind of action Fortum may need to start in Vuoksi.